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y 1956 A. J. NELSON 2,748,260

MOLDED DOUBLE-FACED JACK-d-LANTERN Filed Feb. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheei 1 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

May 29, 1956 A. J. NELSON 2,748,260

MOLDED DOUBLE-FACED JACK-cF-LANTERN Filed Feb. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent MOLDED DOUBLE-FACED JACK-O-LANTERN Arthur J. Nelson, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Pulp Reproduction Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,790

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-16) The present invention relates generally to improvements in the art of producing molded articles, and relates more particularly to improvements in the construction and assemblage of molded jack-o-lanterns or the like.

A primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved novelty item which is extremely simple, compact and durable in construction and which is especially adapted to be readily manufactured of molded pulp, plastic or similar material in large quantities and at low cost.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide an improved jack-o-lantern which is formed with a pair of oppositely directed faces molded directly in a hollow unitary seamless molded pulp body to thereby present a novel article which may be used to advantage as a table, window or like decoration.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide a new and improved two-faced jack-o-lantern or the like in which the facial expressions of the oppositely directed faces may be readily changed at will with the aid of flexible sheets bearing different indicia and insertable within the de vice so as to be visible through the respective eye and mouth openings or transparent portions.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved molded two-faced jack-o-lantern which may be readily illuminated in a safe and simple manner and which may be used with maximum safety by children of all ages.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved novelty article in the nature of a molded pulp or plastic jack-o-lantern consisting of an opaque hollow body or shell provided with oppositely directed faces having transparent or translucent lighttransmitting eye and mouth portions or openings therein.

An additional specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved article of manufacture comprising, a hollow unitary seamless molded body of substantially uniform wall thickness throughout and having a base and a top integrally connected by a continuous side wall, either the base or the top having an access opening therein communicating with the body interior, and the side wall being formed with a pair of oppositely directed facial representations each having transparent eye and mouth portions also communicating with the body interior.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the several features constituting my present invention, and of the mode of construction and of utilizing molded double-faced jack-o-lanterns embodying the improvements, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a typical two-faced jack-olantern formed of molded pulp and embodying my present invention;

2,748,260 Patented May 29, 1956 Fig. 2 is a front view of the molded jack-o-lantern of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same jack-o-lantern;

Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged top view of the improved two-faced jack-o-lantern; and

Fig. 5 is a similarly enlarged transverse vertical section through the assemblage, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

While the invention has been specifically shown and described herein as being especially advantageously applicable to a halloween jack-o-lantern embodying a particular similar facial representation on the opposite front and rear faces thereof, it is not desired or intended to unnecessarily restrict or limit the scope or utility of the improvements by virtue of such limited embodiment, since the invention may obviously be more generally applicable to novelty articles of various types and designs.

Referring to the drawings, the typical jack-o-lantern shown therein as embodying the invention comprises, in general, a hollow unitary seamless molded pulp body 10 of substantially uniform wall thickness throughout and having a base 11 and a top wall 12 integrally connected by a continuous side wall 13, the top wall 12 being formed with an access opening 14 therein communicating with the body interior, and the side wall 13 being formed with a pair of oppositely directed facial representations 15, 16 having eye openings 17, 18 respectively and mouth openings 19, 20 respectively also communicating with the body interior; a pair of flexible sheets 22, 23 disposed within the hollow body 10 so as to respectively span the set 17, 19 and the set 18, 20 of eye and mouth openings, the flexible sheets 22, 23 being provided with indicia 24, 25 respectively which is exteriorly visible through the respective sets 17, 19 and 18, 20 of eye and mouth openings; a cover 26 removably cooperable with the top wall or flange 12 to close the access opening 14; and a selfcontained light-emitting unit 27 associated with and depending from the cover 26 for disposition within the hollow body 10 through the top opening 14.

To somewhat reinforce the base 11 while providing an annular seat for the hollow body 10, the base may be formed with a central conical recess 29; and the top wall 12 may also be conveniently formed with an annular recess 30 surrounding the access opening 14 to receive and positively position the cover 26. While the hollow body 10 may be molded in a manner whereby the oppositely directed facial representations 15, 16 are of somewhat different characteristics and appearance, these facial representations 15, 16 may be similar or identical as shown with the flexible sheets 22, 23 being formed of paper or the like printed with somewhat dissimilar indicia 24, 25 respectively to thereby impart different expressions to the respective faces 15, 16; and the sheets 22, 23 may be conveniently adhesively secured at the upper portions thereof to the inner surface of the wall 13 above the respective sets 17, 19 and 18, 20 of eye and mouth openings so as to permit ready assembling and interchaging of the sheets 22, 23 if and when desired. As indicated, the sheets 22, 23 may be formed of a suitable paper and should preferably be sufiiciently thin to permit transmittal of light therethrough and to visually emphasize the printed indicia thereon when the light-emitting unit 27 is active; and to facilitate packing and storage of the devices as well as to bring the faces 15, 16 as near as possible to the light source for maximum clarity and effectiveness, the side wall 13 is preferably formed of elliptical transverse cross-section as clearly appears from Fig. 4. The self-contained lighting unit preferably used in my improved assemblage is receivable within a central opening 31 formed in the cover 26 and consists of a unitary metal frame or fixture 32 for receiving and retaining an ordinary flash light battery 33 and an electric bulb 34, the frame 32 having an upper recessed cap 35 in which the battery 33 is seated and a depending L-shaped spring leg 36 spanning the side and opposite end of the battery 33 for holding the bulb 34 in contact with the battery contact post 37 to light the bulb when tightly screwed in position as shown in Fig. 5. The cap 35 of the fixture 32 is insertable through the cover opening 31 and is provided with an annular flange 38 coacting with the cover 26 to maintain the lighting unit in position; and if desired, the cap 35 may also be formed with one or more radiating wings or projections 39 insertable through Widened portions 40 of the cover opening 31 and adapted to lock the unit 27 to the cover upon turning the cap 35 a partial turn.

From the foregoing detailed description, it is apparent that my present invention provides an improved novelty item which is extremely simple and durable in construction and which may furthermore be rapidly produced in large quantities from available materials at exceptionally low cost. The improved double-faced jack-o-lanterns may be molded in a well-known manner from paper pulp, plastic or like materials and may be readily painted and assembled for use as Halloween gift items or the like. The oppositely directed faces 15, 16 may be of similar facial designs as indicated or of dissimilar design with the eyes and mouths in the opaque shell or body consisting either of transparent or translucent portions or of openings as shown; and the facial representations on the opposite sides of the device may be given substantially different or dissimilar expressions by merely supplying dissimilar indicia on the respective inner flexible sheets '22, 23, the indicia on these sheets being visible through the respective sets of eye and mouth openings or transparent portions. In addition, the self-contained lighting unit 27 is entirely safe in operation and is exceptionally simple and inexpensive, and this lighting unit may be readily applied either to the cover 26, as shown, or the base may be provided with an opening for receiving the unit 27 for effectively illuminating the body 10 and for a displays clearly visible from the interior and exterior.

It should be understood that it is not desired or intended to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use herein shown and described since various modifications within the scope of the appended claim may occur to persons skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

I claim:

An article of manufacture comprising, a hollow unitary seamless molded pulp body of substantially uniform wall thickness throughout and having a flat base and an inwardly directed top flange integrally connected by a continuous side wall, said top flange defining a recess and an access opening therein communicating with the body interior, and said saide wall being formed with a pair of oppositely directed similar facial representations each having eye and mouth openings of corresponding contour also communicating with the body interior, a pair of thin light transmitting flexible sheets each disposed within and secured at the upper portions only thereof to said side wall of said hollow body below said top flange and each spanning one set of said eye and mouth openings, said sheets each bearing dissimilar indicia thereon exteriorly visible through the respective sets of eye and mouth openings to impart of themselves different expressions to the respective facial representations, a cover removably cooperable with said top flange within the recess defined thereby to close said access opening, and a self-contained light emitting unit carried solely by said cover and depending therefrom for disposition through said top opening within the space defined by said hollow body and between and spaced from said sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 171,363 Nelson Jan. 26, 1954 396,252 Beidler Jan. 15, 1889 1,132,091 Hellstrand Mar. 16, 1915 1,458,687 Dessart June 12, 1923 1,496,406 Bertsch June 3, 1924 2,236,071 Roskam et a1 Mar. 25, 1941 2,245,349 Lombardi June 10, 1941 2,428,133 Yogan Sept. 30, 1947 2,669,802 Olivier Feb. 23, 1954 

